Matt Taibbi

American journalist and author Matt Taibbi writes for Rolling Stone magazine and appears as a political correspondent on Real Time with Bill Maher. Hailed by some as the next Hunter S. Thompson, Taibbi describes himself as a "dissolute, drug-abusing anarchist." ¹

Fast Facts

1. Father Mike Taibbi is a reporter for NBC
2. Lived in Moscow, Russia from 1992-2002
3. Played professional basketball in Mongolia
4. Founded The Beast alternative newspaper
5. Wrote for the New York Press
6. Traveled with John Kerry and Howard Dean during the 2004 Democratic Primaries

Bibliography

1. The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire (2008)
2. Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches from a Rotting Empire (2007)
3. Spanking the Donkey: Dispatches from the Dumb Season (2006)
4. The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia (With Mark Ames and Edward Limonov) (2000)

Controversial Article

In 2005, Taibbi wrote an article for the New York Press, entitled "The 52 Funniest Things About the Upcoming Death of the Pope." The article was publicly condemned by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michael Bloomberg. Representative Anthony Weiner issued a press release encouraging New Yorkers to gather up copies of the offending New York Press and throw them in the trash. New York Press editor-in-chief Jeff Koyen resigned from his position shortly after the article was published. ²

Quote

"The kind of journalism I do is supposed to be funny, but in kind of a horrifying way. I figured the presidential election would be a great subject. But I had never covered a story where I couldn't find a way to express how bad it was. In Russia, I would see these horrible, ridiculous things, and at some level I was actually amused by them. I was able to find them funny but also horrible. In America I didn't really find it amusing; it was just horrible." ³

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